Healthy Boundaries and the Evolution of How I Show Up
When I first began working as a facilitator, I truly believed I had to be available all the time. I answered messages at every hour, rearranged my life around client schedules, and said yes far more often than I said no. I undercharged, overextended, and convinced myself that being a “good” holistic practitioner meant bending in every direction to meet everyone’s needs.
In the beginning, this came from a generous place. I wanted to help. I wanted to grow. I wanted to serve. But underneath it, there was also fear — fear of losing clients, fear of disappointing someone, fear of being unavailable, and fear that my boundaries would make me less valuable.
I had left hospitality specifically to stop working late nights, yet there I was again, taking clients at 10 p.m., blurring the line between devotion and exhaustion. And eventually, the reality became undeniable: I was burning out. Not from the work itself, but from the way I was holding it.
This past year has been a turning point. I spent it looking deeply at my availability, my energetic boundaries, and how I show up for my private clients and the opportunities that come into my field. I sat with myself, honestly and quietly, and allowed a new clarity to emerge about what truly feels aligned.
I raised my prices to match the depth and energy I bring.
I stopped offering times that depleted me.
I learned to say no — not as rejection, but as protection.
And when I said no to what wasn’t aligned, space opened for what was.
As my courses have grown, another truth has become clear: the way I show up must also grow.
With deep gratitude for every person who chooses to learn with me, I realized that I cannot be constantly available and still show up with the grounded presence my students deserve. True leadership asks for boundaries. True teaching requires energy. True service must be sustainable.
This year, I have already made some major shifts. I closed my WhatsApp groups and created more intentional pathways for communication. I now have a private phone with no social media and no emails — a sacred device for my personal life and my nervous system. Behind the scenes, I’m automating more of my business so that my energy is reserved for what I love most: teaching, creating, writing, this blog, and my purpose work.
Next year, my focus will be on how I show up for my students on a deeper level. I am rebuilding my community in a way that feels authentic, supportive, and energetically aligned. Not through constant access, but through intentional presence. Not through endless availability, but through clear, nourishing containers.
Healthy boundaries have not taken me away from my work. They have brought me closer to it. They allow my devotion to stay pure, my creativity to stay alive, and my guidance to stay grounded. My work is at its best when I am resourced, rested, and aligned — and that is the gift I want to offer the people who choose to walk with me.
Reflection Points
You might explore these questions in your own practice:
Where are you saying yes from fear rather than alignment?
Is your generosity coming from overflow, or depletion?
Do your prices and availability reflect your value or your fear of being “too much”?
What would shift if they aligned with your truth?
Which parts of your schedule drain you — and which nourish you?
Your body always tells the truth.
What parts of your community or client structure feel outdated or unsustainable?
And what could grow in the space created by releasing them?
How might your presence deepen if you were no longer available all the time?
Sometimes less access creates more impact.
Have you been on a similar journey this year, or are you feeling the call to begin one?
Share your thoughts below in the comments.
With all my light,
Maria Lodetof
